Sweet Victory
by NovelistServant
Summary: Judy and Nick have accomplished many things, and adopting a daughter was one of them. This, however, will prove to be tougher than any chase the pair have ever come across. (Updated versions of The Hallway, Pride, and Arrested.)
1. The Hallway

Judy paced the soft, green rug that ran through her and Nick's shared hallway as she waited for their shared daughter to come home. Her ears were droopy and her paws twiddled each other and became damp and clammy.

As she paced nervously for the front door of her condo to be opened, she passed many pictures and trinkets throughout the years. Nick didn't see why it was so important to have pictures printed and framed when they could just save it onto their emails, Furbook account, or their new holograms, but Judy wanted to have them mounted and walled to display with pride of the life they built, so the clever fox let his wife carry on with it, smiling with shining green eyes at seeing her light up with joy.

The first picture showed Nick's graduation at the Zootopia Police Academy. It might have taken him a little over 33 years, but he finally found his calling. The amount of pride he felt to not only have his badge, but to have it pinned by the very woman that showed him he could be more than a sly fox, was more than he felt he deserved.

One picture was actually a selfie after they became partners. Nick scraped up enough money to take Judy to see her favorite artist, Gazelle. The look on her face was defiantly worth the price of the tickets and she quickly pulled out her cPhone for a picture in front of the stadium.

The next picture showed another selfie from what Judy strongly argues was the true "first date". After being partners in crime for almost two years, Nick took the rabbit out for a nice dinner, and it wasn't for a birthday or for solving a case.

The "hangouts" turned more and more into "dates" and the bonds grew tighter. Several metals and badges were hung by the pictures, showing just how much the two had done for Zootopia. They certainly were some spine-chilling and tail-spinning stories to tell that were collected from over the years, and told through their voices, and when not that, their hallway.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Nick brought Judy to a little alleyway in the dead of night and her ears were perked up for gang activity, but that was far from the reason they came. A closer look showed that they were right next to Mowlex. Nick didn't waist anytime in case he lost his dinner and got down on one knee and pulled out a little box.

That's when the next picture, a big one, came up of the two in their best in a tight embrace. Six months later the happy couple would be married at the meadows of Bunnyburrow so Nick could get to know Judy's family properly. After only four years, the two were married until death do they part.

Even before they were married, the conversation of kids came up every now and then and they weren't against it, but it just wasn't on their To Do list at the moment. To begin with, they made it very plain that having biological children was out of the question, so if they were to have a desire for a child it would have to be adopted. They were comfortable with the idea, but not so much as for the time; The two decided that they weren't ready to be called "Mommy" and "Daddy" and to simply wait, or possibly not have any children at all.

And so two years flew by since their wedding day and they found themselves living a comfortable life in Zootopia, with an exciting job and a warm home to go back to. They lived in the heart of the giant city, not too far from the ZPD, in a cozy little condo with all the space they could want.

One case was particularly nasty, not hard to crack, but hard to do emotionally. To make the traumatizing story short, Judy was forced to break down a door and crash a car in order to save Nick's life, but when she opened the doors to see who was driving the van, her lavender eyes filled with tears seeing an infant tiger crying in fear, strapped to a seat with his ear cut by a shard of glass, just inches from his head.

Judy snapped herself out of it for the time being as they solved the case, but for days on end, she could never seem to forgive herself for almost killing the child and seeing his mother's face, in a dirty apartment and having no power to control what her father almost made her lose. Judy ate very little and kept to herself and it tore Nick apart to see her so upset.

It took some time, but Judy soon found herself with Nick's help to be able to walk into the ZPD with a true-blue smile and to wave Clawhauser good-morning. It started out small, but then it started to grow. She found herself drawn to children playing together after school on her way home from a slow day at work. Every time she saw a carriage she turned to look some more. Every "coo" sounded like music and every cry sounded like the world's end.

She could nearly hear their own running through the hallway in Daddy's vest or playing in the office, writing a very important letter on Mommy's computer. When shopping she felt a need to buy the smallest cloths right next to the ones that would fit her goddaughter and when buying carrots she caught herself thinking she ought to buy the mooched-up ones, too.

Judy could hide it no more, like it was ever hidden from Nick to begin with, and one night at dinner, she told him that she wanted to adopt. He also admitted into strongly considering it, and they both agreed that they would look into it deeper, but would not make any rash decisions until they were sure it was right for them.

And so Judy found herself going through paperwork and reading parenting books late at night, and Nick peeking at the books at dawn before his wife woke up. They already thought of possible places for the office to go in order to give a baby a room and Nick actually went far enough to go to the Bank and talk about children finances and Judy researched on orphans in Zootopia.

At last, they both gave in and spent a day off at the Zootopia Orphanage for the Gifted Mammals in Sahara Square. The woman behind it all, a goat named Mrs. Keeper, greeted them warmly, and after checking that everything was in order, she had them look around, explaining that everything was organized by age groups and all the children wore grey uniforms, pants for boys, skirts for girls.

Most children were adopted by 13, and the ones that weren't were given the best schooling possible and the responsibility to shepherded the young kids. They had their own living quarters at the very top floor of the building, which was rumored by the other kids to be really nice, but a first look by Judy and Nick told them it was that much better.

And so then traveled to the next age group: 10-13. The preteens proved to be surprisingly quiet, doing either sports outside or drawing, reading, and writing on their bunk-beds. Their hopes seemed low, but that didn't stop them from looking up when the doors opened and smiling at the Wildes. They hated to leave and make them disappointed, but they were used to it and Judy and Nick didn't feel a connection, so they moved on to the next age group.

The 6-9 year olds were happy, jumpy, loud and playful. They played worn-out board games on the cold floor or played ball or jump-rope with smiles and laughter. They were smart and greeted Judy and Nick excitedly, dragging Judy in for some jump-rope and she wowed them all with her skills. They were all wonderful, but there was no connection.

They moved on to the 3-5 year old, the age group that contained potty-trained children and some who could read, to those who were still training and couldn't recognize the Alphabet. They were all so precious and grew particularly close to Nick and his fluffy tail, but… no connection.

That left only the newborns and infants, the 0-2 age group, who proved to be the biggest age group. Before they went into the room, Judy hesitated. Nick had his paw on the doorknob before noticing this and he turned to her.

"Carrots, what's wrong?" He asked as he took a paw.

She turned her head away and closed her eyes in thought. "I'm just… what if we don't find one? What if we walk in, and we walk out with no one?"

Nick stepped closer and Judy finally looked back at her husband. He brought her into a hug and kissed her in between her ears as they embraced each other.

The fox let go and answered, "Then we'll just keep looking. We'll find our missing Wilde. After all, we gotta stick together."

"Like glue." Judy added with a smile and Nick nodded.

Leading the way, he opened the door and held Judy's paw and they two looked to see a room full of cribs, each displaying a male or female symbol and papers giving medical records and their age. A sign by the door told the couple that this was the newborns to 11-months-olds room. A door to their left was labeled as the 1-2 kids' room.

At the back right corner was a half circle of rockers and three of which were full with two volunteers and a 17-year-old orphan lion. The two volunteers, a black-furred bunny and an aardvark, smiled and continuing to feed bottles to the bundles. The lion female smiled and waved as she burped the baby in her arms.

Judy and Nick looked around at the cooing cribs and saw all sorts of babies from all species, male and female, all wearing soft, grey onesies. Judy and Nick separated for a while and looked down at the crates. One fox with green eyes looked up happily at Judy, and she smiled, loving how much he looked like Nick, but she walked on. As she walked by the next crib, it screamed and then changed to a cry.

Judy jumped and turned quickly to see the baby crying. A female raccoon, only nine-months-old, was crying loudly and salty tears traced her dark-brown mask.

The female lion laughed and said, "I don't need to see who that is! I recognize her voice!"

Nick walked over and peered into the loud crib.

Judy said over the crying, "It's a female raccoon."

"Of course it's her!" The black, male rabbit chuckled. "It's always her! She's just a bit of a fussy one, she is. Could you pick her up? See if you can stop her screeching?"

Judy nodded. Growing up with 275+ siblings at home, taking care of infants while Mom and Dad worked on the farm was about as normal as dreaming about making the world a better place. Her gentle paws reached down and seemed to know what to do. She supported her neck and head and picked up the raccoon.

She quieted down to a whimper and looked up at the rabbit and fox. They were strangers to her, but she felt something and was not afraid, but curious. Judy held her so she was close to her chest and could see Nick perfectly. She merely stared, studying them, and they did the same.

It was her that broke the stillness and she raised her arms and opened and closed her hands to grab something. Unconsciously, Nick brought out a paw pointing a single finger and she grabbed it, feeling his soft fur and the warmth from his heart. He put his free hand on his wife's waist and the three watching smiled, knowing they had found their third Wilde.

While they gathered the little things she had, Judy and Nick were left to think of a name for her, for at the orphanage, children were not given names, if they never had one, until they turned one so the parents could pick a name if they want.

They went over many names like Rain, Veronica, Nicole, Bonnie, and even Elizabeth, but they didn't seem to fit. All but one. Victoria. Within minutes, the adoption certificate was filled out and Victoria was given to her new mother and her new father was given a small bag of diapers to last a few days, a blanket, and two spare onsies.

That was 16 years ago. Pictures of her first birthday, her first day of school, family paintings, and middle school graduation showed how much Victory grew up from a fussy toddler into a creative young lady. She proved to be very adaptive, a quick learner, and a bit of a rebel, her father knowing it was the world getting revenge on him.

Victory was an artist, and as pure as one could be. Always achieving high in arts, from acting to painting to sculpting, she always had the scent of spray-paint on her fur and her hands were a new color every day. Her navy-blue hoodie and faded grey jeans were her go-to with her splatter-painted white converse and normally a pair of head-phones around her neck. Victory loved her parents dearly and always knew just how to show it, but she always felt… weighted.

Expected to be a hero like the Wildes and always seen as "Judy and Nick's daughter", she grew irritated and wanted to do something different. She knew her godfather, Grandpa Big, wouldn't mind, but her parents would probably skin her.

One night, her luck ran out. Blue and red lights flashed and she was handcuffed and muffled for good measure, despite never showing her teeth. She called Grandpa Big, but he called Nick. Being the closest to Victory, he went to pick her up from the ZPD and find his daughter guarded by Chief Bogo himself.

The drive was silent. Victory would rather have been in the back of another cop-car than in the front with her father. She wanted Nick to yell at her, but all he did was drive silently, disappointed, and it killed her.

The door clicked open and Judy looked to see Nick and Victory come in, down and disappointed. She ran to her only daughter and hugged her. Victory wished she wouldn't. When Judy let go, she held her by the shoulders and looked at her, demanding without words for an answer to her unasked question.

She didn't have one.


	2. Pride

Little Victoria stopped her bubble-gum pink alarm clock and jumped out of bed in joy. She pulled off her Princess Purrida nightgown and got dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a plain grey t-shirt. She opened the door and ran down the stairs to see her mother, Judy, in the kitchen, fixing two bowls of Honey-Nut Cheerios. Victory jumped into a chair and the bunny smiled while the coffee brewed.

"Morning, Mommy!" The 7-year-old said happily.

"Morning, Victoria." Judy said and sat in her ZPD uniform. "You excited for school today?"

The little raccoon nodded with a mouth full of milk-sweetened cereal. Today Judy had to go work alone, and she wouldn't be dropping Victory off at school. Nick would be walking her and be staying with her all day.

Nick asked for the day off and got his request. At Victoria's school, George Hippoton Elementary, her class was having a Career Day at school where parents came and the kids told their classmates what their parents did.

Judy was excited when she got the email about it and instantly said that Nick should go. Victoria loved her parents equally, but her and Nick had a special bond. It was amazing how as she got older, she reminded Judy more and more of her father.

She tailed him everywhere he went and ran to his arms first when they were reunited. She learned how to think carefully, be cunning, and pull on a face, which would help in the years to come when she wanted to be in theater.

Judy would never forget the time Victory stood up for a kid outside of school getting bullied, and actually said some pretty strong words against the bully and left her to turn away in shame. Victory then helped the kid up and finally saw her parents waiting for her in the car. When the little raccoon buckled up, Nick shifted to drive and asked with a laugh where she learned to talk like that.

"You, Daddy." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and Nick almost crashed into the car in front of them.

Today, Victory was so excited to get to show her class her cool, cop Daddy! She ate her cereal quickly until Judy scolded her gently as she poured some coffee into a little peach-colored mug with a carrot on it.

"Slow down, Victoria!" Judy chuckled. "You don't have to be there for another hour!"

'When'll Daddy get up?" Her daughter asked in between bites.

"You know how your father is." Judy said with a roll of her lavender eyes. "He's a Night Owl. He's not like Momma where he's up at 5:30 every morning."

Victoria cringed at being up so early and they both laughed. It carried all the way up the stairs to Nick and Judy's shared bedroom and it awoke him. He found himself smiling before he opened his green eyes and saw that his alarm clock wasn't supposed to ring for another half hour. Oh well, waking up to hear his girls laugh was way better than the obnoxious beep, beep, beep of a robot.

He grabbed his cPhone and scrolled through a bit to wake up before taking off his light-green boxers and taking a towel with him into the master bathroom. The sound of running water filled the condo and it lasted for 20 minutes until the door opened and steamed seeped out of the little room.

Victory was so excited that she ate not one bowl, but two bowls of Cheerios, and then she could hear her father come down the stairs and she ran to hug him in this ironed, clean uniform.

"Daddy!"

"Hey, sweetheart!" He said as he lifted her up and hugged her. He put her down with a bit of breath gone and asked, "Ate breakfast?"

Victory nodded with gleaming baby-blue eyes.

"Go brush your teeth and we'll go."

She gave another nod and ran up the stairs past Nick. The fox's smile died without his daughter or coffee around and so he went to go make a cup to go. At last, Victoria was ready with a blue, zebra-striped backpack on her shoulders and Nick had his coffee in hand and sunglasses over his eyes.

Judy walked out with them and locked the door as they walked on. She called goodbye and they replied, and the sly bunny got in their cop-car and drove down the street towards the ZPD. Going, going, gone.

Victory and Nick had a fun walk to school! They talked about school and work, and when Nick was heading to his favorite bakery for a blueberry pastry, he told Victoria some stories from being a cop. Her favorite story truly was The Nighthowler Case! It was exciting, thrilling, suspenseful, and it showed how they got to where they are now. Nick told the story all over again and she listened with shining eyes as he ate his breakfast and they headed to school.

They made it to a big building full of children of all sizes and species. Some played basketball and some played four-square on the cement. Most of them were heading inside for class, and the ones remaining were hurrying to finish the game before it was time to go.

Victory took her father by the paw and happily showed him in and down the hall she went every day. They walked into their classroom full of desks that got bigger as you went to the back of the class. The walls and windows were decorated with crafts and projects and cubbies were already filled with lunches and backpacks. Victory put her backpack in the cubby that red "Victoria Wilde" and sat down with her father next to her.

The teacher, a black jaguar named Mrs. Cooper, wore a midnight-blue dress and welcomed them all, and gave a very warm one to Nick and they shook paws as more students and parents came in. Soon the room was full and the bell ringed for class to begin.

Mrs. Cooper welcomed them all and explained that since today was the last day before fall, class would be only a half-day today. They'd start right away and allow each child to introduce their parent to the class. And then, once class was over, children without parents would go to lunch until picked-up and children whose parents came could go home.

And so Mrs. Cooper sat at her desk by the window and looked at her list of students and called out the first student. One by one, students introduced their mom or dad and said what they did, and then left the parent to explain in depth what they did.

They had a mixture of people come in. One female sheep was an opera singer! They also had an elephant accountant, a beaver construction worker, a deer chef, and even a pig firefighter, who bored/traumatized the class by telling the story of how he lost his partner in a burning building.

Nick patiently waited for their turn. Victoria purposely wanted to wait until the end of class; she wanted to save the best for last. After a hippo told about being a dentist, they all clapped again and the two hippos sat down.

Mrs. Cooper glanced at the clock above the front board and said, "Looks like we have just enough time for our last parent." She said pleasantly, glad that it was working out without any problems. The cat looked at the little raccoon by the fox and asked, "Are you ready, Victoria?"

"Yes, Mrs. Cooper." She said politely and stood up with a bounce in her step.

She took Nick by the hand and walked him to the front of the class. He smiled and waited to see what his daughter would say. He'd never say it, but once he was up there, he reminded himself that kids can be brutally honest, and he was a little uneasy at waiting to see what Victory would say.

Victoria took in a deep breath to ease any never she had and said clearly, "This is Nicolas P. Wilde. He's a Night Owl, likes his coffee with two sugars and hazelnut creamer, and always gets blueberry parties for breakfast. He's been in Zootopia his whole life and is married to Judy Wilde."

Nick became aware of his neck feeling tight and he wondered how much more of his personal life little Victory would tell her class.

"He's got the best job in the world!" She said excitedly and Nick felt his back straighten slightly and his neck wasn't so tight. "It's not easy, and it usually keeps him up all night, but he's the best at what he does!"

Nick's stance wasn't much different than when he graduated the ZPD Academy. Prideful, straight back, big smile, puffed-up chest. He smiled and awaited for when Victory would tell them what he does, despite them probably already knowing from his uniform and the news.

"He's my dad!" Victory said happily with her own chest up and Nick felt like a performer on a stage and the script was changed without him knowing. His expression was shock for a moment, but he quickly picked it back up and masked it.

"He adopted me when I was a baby." Victory went on. "He and Momma are awesome! But Nick is special!" She said as she put a kind paw on his arm. "He leaves home every once in a while, but he always comes home and lets me run into him to hug him, even when he's tired. And when he does leave, I know he does it to make Zootopia a better place for me!

"He's really funny, and when I'm sad, he always makes me laugh! He's smart and helps me with my homework if I don't understand it, and he taught me you don't have to be perfect to have a good heart. He's truly shown me anyone can be anything they wanna be, but not because of the city or they wanna.

"He's shown me it's all about how hard you work for it, and what you're willing to do! He's the bravest man I know, because he took on the biggest burden he'd ever have to shoulder, but he knows it's worthwhile! And it is for me, too!"

Nick merely stood in shock and with his eyes stinging. He desperately wished she was done, because he did NOT need to tear up in front of a class and their parents, especially in uniform!

But no! She had more to say! "He's my daddy, and whenever I hear a story, I'm proud to be his missing Wilde found! He knows how I like to be tucked in, he knows when I'm sad when I try to hide it, and he knows all my tickle spots!

"But that's not why he's the best daddy. He's the best because he loves me, and that's why he knows so much about me! He loves me so much he works where he could get hurt, and sometimes I'm scared to see him go, but he always comes home, and always will!" Victory paused to give the stunned fox a quick hug and concluded, "Nick Wilde is my hero. He's the best at what he does, and that's being my daddy!"

Nick's heart was soaring and he felt close to tears. He can remember the fear he had of letting her down and not being a good father, but to know how Victory, his very own little Victory loved him so much, was making him crumble. Thank God, the bell rang and everyone was shaken out of their thoughts from what Victory said.

"Well," Mrs. Cooper said and stood up as students from other classes walked happily in the halls. "Thank you so much to all the parents who came! Maybe some of you know what you wanna be when you grow up! If I call out your name, please stay in here for a minute, the rest of you may go."

And then she called out a list of names of kids whose parents came for the special day. The parents and children started to leave, and Victory went to grab her backpack. Nick could hardly feel his feet, so he stayed where he stood.

Kids were already running up to Victory and asking questions.

"I thought your daddy was a cop?"

"He is." Victory answered. "But being a daddy's cooler!"

"That IS cool!" A little boy said. "Maybe I'LL be a daddy when I grow up!"

"I always wanted to be a mommy" A female sheep peeped in.

"Cool!"

"Does he stay up late ALL the time?"

"Is his tail as soft as it looks? It looks fluffy!"

"I think it's cute!"

"My mommy doesn't like that word."

More questions came and Victory answered them unshamefully. She did look like in a hurry to leave, wanting to be with Nick. She finally managed to wiggle out of the crowd and towards the fox and Mrs. Cooper told the other kids to line up for lunch.

They obeyed and kept looking back at the cool fox in the police uniform. The big door was crowded so Mrs. Cooper led them out and then the Wildes were free to go. Victory grabbed her father by the paw and walked them down the hall.

As Nick walked, his head started to clear and his building tears stopped production. He looked down at his little girl and said,

"That was quite the speech, sweetheart."

Victory looked up at him with the biggest smile and asked, "Really?"

"Yeah, Short-Stuff." He said and ruffled the top of her head with his free paw. "That was real sweet of you to say all that stuff about your old man."

"But you're not old!" Victory defended.

Nick laughed and said, "It's just a saying, Victory."

"Oh." The little raccoon said, and then smiled again. "I meant every word!"

"I know you did." He said and landed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm proud of you, sweetheart."

"I'm proud of you, too." She replied.

They walked out into the warm autumn sun and saw students playing or eating with teachers shadowing them. Nick walked his daughter out and down the sidewalk.

"Are we going home?" Victory asked.

"No," Nick said with a sly smile. "We're heading to the ZPD to give Mommy some lunch."

Victory cheered and did a little skip on the safe pavement. This day got that much better for the little raccoon! Not only did she get to show her classmates the coolest person on the planet, she now got to visit the ZPD again! Together, they walked in Zootopia for Sub-Street to pick up lunch. As they did, the talked pleasantly about the day ahead of them.

"Will I get to sit in the spin-y chair?"

"Sure."

"And wear the cool vest?"

"Maybe."

"And will Ben give me a lolly?"

"If you eat your lunch and he offers. Don't ask for one!"


	3. Arrested

Victory walked out of the little art-supply store with her torn-up messenger bag weighing her right shoulder down. It was never filled with books; she didn't need them to do well in school. They were full of spray-paints, a roll of paper towels and a paint-scraper. The bag also held some money and a notebook with some pencils.

Her cPhone 12 was in her navy-blue hoodie and his black headphones hung around his neck, plug into the hidden device. Her blue jeans barely touched the cement she walked across, but was stained with paint and ink. Judy found she didn't mind so much. It looked different and not too bad where it looked like Victory did her shopping at the dump. Nick always said it showed how creative she was. Judy said it showed how hard she worked.

The sun was sinking behind the tall buildings and leaving long shadows behind the smallest mouse. The air was warm and cozy, making it difficult not stay out of a peaceful doze. The young raccoon stopped at an ice-cream parlor and bought a can of Mr. Pepper to wake her up a bit. Much better.

Her parents wouldn't be home until after dinner, and by then she would be home and getting dry from a nice shower. They were always at the ZPD, but she was used to it. In fact, she was proud. She was proud to have such brave, successful, amazing parents that overcame so much in a few short years.

She can remember as a kid holding her head up high whenever her last name was called for roll-call. Wilde. On the first day of school, some heads would turn, but not many. The teachers may look again and smile, but that was it. She didn't want a trophy, she didn't choose her parents. They chose her.

Victory was also very proud to have been adopted. Some other used-to-be orphans she's met weren't a huge fan of it, wondering who they're birth parents were, or mad that they were told a lie until they were teenagers. She didn't care. So what? They had always told her proudly that they adopted her, and it's not like they could keep it a secret from her anyways.

They had never pressured her to become a cop, ever. Judy had earned from her parents not to do that and Nick was happy with what she wanted to do. True, she did consider doing it when she was a preteen, liking the idea of excitement and stopping bad guys, but she had a stronger, deeper calling and she knew she could do some good for the world in her own way.

Victory wanted to be an artist. She wanted to be free to paint and draw what her heart felt and eyes saw. She had so much on her mind that she felt overwhelmed without putting it on paper, a canvas, or a wall.

At first, it was a thrill. Heart racing and blood flowing fast, it was exciting and new! To set the limits and do something she knew she wasn't supposed to do, and hey be able to get away with it! It was her way of putting her mark on the world without a name, which she had no problem doing.

She found a dark alley with an untouched wall and decided that it was perfect. There was enough sun to see, but enough darkness to be hidden. She put her grey bag down and the metal cans rattled against each other. Victory pulled out her notebook and saw a rough sketch she had drown in Trigonometry that day. It wouldn't be just a sketch anymore.

She put it down on a closed trashcan and woke up her cPhone. She chose Centuries by Fall Out Boy and put on her headphones, leaving one ear free to listen for the authorities. As the cold music played, she pulled out a blue can and shook it before opening it and getting to work.

It was exciting, keeping a secret from her parents, especially since they were both cops. It gave her a thrill to go past the boundaries and to test the limits! The only one who knew what she was doing was her best friend, Matt.

Matt Russell, an athletic tiger, played basketball since he could walk and had been Victory's best friend since Middle School. They had known each other since Elementary, but they didn't have any classes together and never really talked. Victory liked to spend her lunches in the art class, working on little projects instead of eating in the cafeteria with no one to talk to.

One day, about a month into the 6th grade, Matt missed out on school for two days from a cold and was behind on a painting due in art class. So his teacher said he could come in and work during lunch to get caught up if he wanted and he accepted, sick of eating at a table in silence as he did his Math homework.

The tiger walked in and saw Victory listening to the 50s radio station and dancing as she painting on a canvas she paid for with her own money. He walked in and sat up his station next to her and asked if she liked 50s music. She replied that she liked all kinds of music, and that led to a nice discussion while they painted.

The next day Matt came back and finished his project. The two got to be close as the days wore on, either eating lunch in the art room or on the basketball court. They had a lot in common and became the best of friends.

Nothing changed when they went up to High School. Matt made the basketball team, which was no surprise, and Victory never missed a game. She told the tiger everything, and he did the same to her. They had been to each other's houses, covered the other's backs, and even helped their best friend find dates, which never really worked out.

Victory told Matt about her evening-outings painting the town and he was worried about her getting into trouble, but he let her make her own decisions and didn't think much of it. Victory loved Matt for that and swore she would repay him someday.

It grew very dark and the music went from rock to classic to 80s as the wall was filled with color and the air smelled of metal and paint. Her baby-blue eyes were used to the darkness and she could see what she was doing.

It was trails of different colors and patterns moving left to right, slowly merging into one path. But one path stayed stood out and distant, being away from the crowd and standing out because of it. She found the other paths represented the paths others took, and the one that went its own way was her. Victory smiled and kept spray-painting to touch it up and fix a few things.

Meanwhile, a wolf, an armadillo, and an otter snuck into a store a few blocks away from the raccoon. They grabbed all the money and a few valuable items like TVs, radios, headphones, ect. They had everything when they were heading to the door, but they triggered an alarm!

A team was riding around when the alarm sounded and alerted their radio. They raced over and were able to see three hooded figures running from the store with a broken window with their backs and arms loaded with goods and money.

Officers McHorn, Riderbits, and Wolfered jumped out of their car and ran to catch them. The criminals ran down the streets with the officers closing in on their tales. The armadillo waddled across the street and Riderbits went after him. The otter slipped into an alleyway and Wolfered went after him, jumping over the fence the otter wiggled through.

McHorn went for the shadow in front of him and it turned into a different alley. McHorn lost sight for a moment but then slid to a turn and ran after it. He saw it standing by a wall, backing up to undoubtedly try to hide, and knocked it down with his horn. The criminal was knocked into the dirt and tried to get up, but the rhino held it down with a heavy paw.

He was very shocked when he saw the mammal under his grasp turn to look at him and it was Nick and Judy's daughter, Victory! Her blue eyes were small with fear and she gasped his name at recognizing him. McHorn hadn't seen the robbers clearly, and so he had no idea if one of them was a raccoon or not. Victory didn't have any TVs or goods like that, but he reached for her bag after coming out of shock and found some money and cans of spray-paint.

McHorn didn't have any proof that Victory had anything to do with the robbery, but it was suspicious and she was clearly doing something she wasn't supposed to. Plus, he would never say it out loud, but… it seemed like something she might do. After all… she was a raccoon.

He got off of her and held her arms together as he handcuffed them.

"Hey!" She yelled in shock. "What's going on? What did I do?"

"Victoria Wilde," McHorn said gravely. "You are under arrest for possible robbery and vandalism. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can, and will, be used against you in the court of law."

"But, I…" She said through gritted teeth in nervousness.

McHorn went a step too far and muzzled her for good measure. When Riderbits and Wolfered met up with McHorn empty handed and saw Victory in his hold, they were shocked and the rhino explained as they got in the car.

Her heart was beating so fast she was so sure she would pass out in the seat. The muzzle made it hard to breath and it made her mouth and nose hot and sweaty. Her arms were already cramped from the metal cuffs that forced them behind her back and near the beginning of her ringed tail.

How many times had she been in the back of a cop car for a ride home from school as a child? Why? Why did she have to get arrested? She would rather be shot in the forehead that what was coming. What would her parents say?!

The drive took an eternity. McHorn took her out steadily from the car and into ZPD. Clawhauser, at the front desk, was eating some cheesecake and smiled when he first saw the raccoon he's known since Judy and Nick found her, but his smile faded and his raised paw to wave lowered.

Victory? Arrested? Muzzled? No. Not Victory. Never. Clawhauser knew there must have been a mistake. Did she try to help stop a crime and accidently got assumed to be helping? Yes! Yes, that was it! She'd tell Bogo that it was all a misunderstanding and it would be okay! Clawhauser looked down at the rest of his cheesecake and he stared for a moment before putting it on his desk and pushing it away. He wasn't hungry.

Bogo was just as shocked. He can remember her visits as a toddler and a young child. Once or twice on the weekends she surprised her parents with lunch. So what in the world was she doing here under arrest? McHorn explained why he took her in and Bogo had to be Bad Chief and put her in a room for questioning.

At first, the two merely looked at each other with Victoria's paws cuffed to the table. She looked at Bogo, but her eyes were unfocused and thinking. Bogo studied her before he spoke. He had known her for the longest time. Almost fifteen years now. How did she get from the daughter of his best cops to a criminal charged with robbing and vandalizing?

"Alright, Wilde." He said gravely, but there was love and concern in his stern voice. "What happened tonight?"

Victory was snapped out of her thoughts and she looked away from the chief in shame. If she told Bogo, he'd tell her parents. It'd kill her for them to know. But, wasn't it better than being seen as a thief? Would he even believe her?

She took in a deep breath and looked Bogo in the eye. "You won't believe me, sir."

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arm over his chest. "And why is that?"

"Because you already see me as a criminal." The raccoon answered. "Why do you think McHorn arrested me? He was chasing a robber, saw me, and took me in. Mammals only see raccoons as thieves, everyone knows that. You probably thought I'd do something stupid, because I'm the Wilde child and I'd wanna do something that would break their hearts. I'd wanna prove I'm not like them and my own person. So, even if I tell you the truth, you won't believe me."

Bogo observed her and she look away again. It was just that simple. He was stunned at how much Victory reminded the chief of Officer Wilde. So quick to do only what the world expected them to be, thinking there was no point in being anything else.

"Victoria," Bogo said and sat up. "I don't believe for one moment that you stole anything. I've known you since you were hardly smaller than your mother. I just want to hear you say it so we can sort this out. That is, unless you wish to spend the night here."

Victory could nearly sense the joke in his last sentence, and when she looked up, his face was stern, but his eyes held compassion and reassurance. She took in a deep breath and told her side of the story, every detail.

Bogo believed every word and offered her one phone call so she could get picked up. She did, however, commit a crime, so a fee must be paid. She thought to call her father first, but she couldn't bear it. She called her godfather, Mr. Big, and hoped he would come in and save the day. He said he would take care of it, and when he hung up with Victory, he called Nick.

Nick's heart shattered. His knuckles were white as he held the phone and it was a mystery on how the screen didn't crack under the pressure. He was on his feet but looked ready to fall to his knees. His ears were droopy and every muscles was tense with worry and the deepest sadness.

He had failed. He had failed.

Judy was watching, and when he hung up, it was a full minute before he answered her. He spat it out without looking at her, ashamed, and he took the keys from the table in the hallway and walked out the door, leaving his wife to pace nervously.

Nick drove as fast as he could without having to arrest himself. He had not changed out of his uniform out and it shook with nerves. Was she okay? What happened? Was she hurt? Did she break the law? What had his little Victory done?!

He parked extremely crooked and ran into the ZPD. Clawhauser watched and slowly sunk a little behind his desk, quite scared. His cheesecake was still sitting alone and hardly touched. The fox went straight for the cells and found Bogo sitting right in front of one, where his daughter sat on a wooden bench, handcuffed, and her head down.

Was his shattered before? No. No it wasn't. Not compared to now anyhow. Bogo walked up to Nick and they talked a little ways away from Victory's cell. Nick's boss told him what happened and he gave some advice. It washed over Nick and didn't soak in, only the fact of what Victory had done.

He paid the fee and Victory was let go. Bogo personally released her wrists and she stepped out reluctantly. She was sickened with herself and felt ready to throw up. She didn't deserve a father like him. He didn't deserve to have to take a daughter like her home. He should have left her there to rot.

Nick started to walk and Victory reluctantly followed. He never looked at her, not even when she was let out. His feet or the floor must have been very interesting to observed, because his green eyes were kept down. They walked by Clawhauser's desk and she look up at him and paused.

Her eyes screamed out, "What will I do?"

Ben didn't have an answer, but he did have a lollipop. He gave Victory a blueberry one, her favorite, and she took and nodded thank you, not having the strength to smile or say it. She pocketed it in her jacket and left.

The drive could kill. Nick paid more attention to the road than normal and didn't say anything or look at her. She wished he would yell or scream, do something! The disappointment broke her. He blamed himself and Victory knew it was NOT his fault! She chose to break the law, all for a stupid thrill! She was the one who wanted to make her mark on the world, still did.

So many times her right paw twitched to just open the car-door and jump out onto oncoming cars. She could stand getting arrested, having that on her record for all time, but disappointing her father? Her mentor? Her hero? It was more than she could bear.

A tree to hit. Another tree to hit. Maybe that one! He knew at the beginning he would screw up big-time! He knew it, had ignored it, but now it slapped him right in his goddamn face and he knew he was right! What made him think he could do this?! He failed her! He failed Judy, himself, his whole family! He failed! He had messed up big time and would show forever! If he could just go back in time, and…

They parked and Nick left the car. Victory stayed for a moment before composing herself and forcing her feet to move her out of the vehicle and to her front door. Nick unlocked the door with a click and Judy looked to see them come in, down and disappointed.

She ran to her only daughter and hugged her. Victory wished she wouldn't. When Judy let go, she held her by the shoulders and looked at her, demanding without words for an answer to her unasked question.

She didn't have one.


End file.
